Virtual Assisting

Does Multitasking Really Work? Read the Suprising Study Released by the APA

Doreen Patrick — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:30:00 GMT

The American Psychological Association just recently released a study about multitasking and the effects of having to “switch gears” moving from one task to another. Interestingly, the more complex the task, the greater amount of time lost. Sounds simple enough, but at what cost does that come? Consider the cost to one’s business. Most business owners are elated that they can walk, talk, and chew gum at the same time. However, consider the amount of time it takes to re-engage in a project after the phone rings or phone calls to be made, the UPS delivery you have to sign for, and the paperwork that keeps piling up that begs for your attention. Sound familiar?

Everyday there are more and more ways to “become efficient” and cram more in to our day, but the misconception is that we think we have to do this ourselves. Not so! Yes, new software products and technologies have improved efficiencies in businesses without a doubt, but that just leaves the door open for us to take on more stuff. This is the very reason why I am in business today; to help businesses and business owners navigate the fine line between needing “another app for that” and doing what it is they love to do.
So read the article, save the brain space, and determine just what it is you want to do and delegate the rest!

Reference:
"Executive Control of Cognitive Processes in Task Switching," Joshua S. Rubinstein, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, Atlantic City, N.J.; David E. Meyer and Jeffrey E. Evans, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich., Journal of Experimental Psychology - Human Perception and Performance, Vol 27. No.4

Networking, The Old Fashioned Way

Doreen Patrick — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:57:00 GMT

With social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn becoming main stream, I am finding that good 'ol fashioned networking is still a much needed component for most businesses. Let me tell you why! Last weekend, I attended a networking event with fellow virtual assistants. As we shared detailes about ourselves, we also shared who our ideal clients were and the industries that we served. You may be thinking, so? The crux of this is that some people make fatal networking mistakes such as:

Talking all about themselves
Failing to ask questions to the other people in the group
Commanding the conversation with out letting the other party speak
Collecting business cards

The key is to listen, listen listen! Say you attended an event, met "Joe", and listened to everything that Joe had to say about himself. How is Joe going to be able to market himself to you when he knows nothing about you? Had Joe taken the time to ask you questions, he may have discovered, for example, that you are not in need of his services, but your colleague is. I can only imagine the amount of missed opportunities because people are too wrapped up in themselves to get to know the other person.

The goal here is to build relationships and you do that by getting to know people. You are not going to buy from someone only after meeting them for five minutes, so don't expect the same in return! Now that I am getting to know my new fellow virtual assistant counterparts, I can be sure that if opportunities arise where I may be in need of their services or know of other people that are, they will get the referral!

Attracting Paying Customers: The Make-Or-Break Fundamentals To Making Real Money Through Search Marketing

Doreen Patrick — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:17:00 GMT

Are you disappointed with the traffic your website is getting? (Do you even know how much traffic your site is getting?)

Have you heard the hype about search engine marketing, article submission and goodle adwords, but felt overwhelmed (even drained) at the prospect of trying to figure it all out?

Are you interested in learning how to leverage search engine marketing to attract hundreds--even thousands--more visitors to your website each month?

It's no secret that a powerful search strategy can exponentially increase your revenue; it can also break the bank when executed poorly. There's more to it that just buying keywords and watching the dollars zing in (would it be great if it was that simple?).

Jeremiah Andrick, our resident Search Marketing Expert, has 10 years of experience, most recently as a consultant for Logitech and search marketing specialist for Microsoft® Live Search (now known as Bing), with years of experience in advertising as an account exec for a large national advertising agency (clients include Tyson’s Chicken, French’s Mustard and Uncle Ben’s Rice). He is going to join us Thursday, July 30, 2009 at 5 pm ET for a powerful teleseminar:

Attracting Paying Customers: The make-or-break fundamentals to making real money through search marketing
Date: Thursday, July 30, 2009
Time: 3 pm PT / 4 pm CT / 5 pm ET

A successful SEM campaign is not about getting more traffic; it’s about getting qualified traffic that CONVERTS to being customers to your website.

In this one-hour teleseminar, you will learn:
• The basic step-by-step process of setting up an integrated search marketing campaign (you can use these strategies to improve your website’s search engine optimization as well!)
• common pay-per-click (PPC) mistakes people make that costs them hundreds, thousands, even tens-of-thousands of dollars, and how you can avoid them
• powerful support strategies (many of them free!) for successful SEO / SEM campaigns to help you drive your website traffic and conversions through the roof
• to leverage Google Analytics to monitor your traffic and ensure that it is converting once it arrives at your website.

So if you have never tackled search engine marketing before or you’ve have dabbled in it without achieving results; if you’ve “heard the rumors” that search engine marketing could revolutionize your business and you want to learn for yourself, you do not want to miss this teleseminar!

If you can’t make the call, sign up anyhow; we’re recording it and I’ll send you the link so you can listen at your convenience!

Jeremiah Andrick speaks at major search conferences all over the world (including the renowned Search Insiders Summit, Search Engine Strategies and Search Marketing Expo) and is a recognized marketing thought leader and search marketing insider who can teach you how to not only avoid common pitfalls and blunders, but also to properly architect a website that can fully leverage all the potential an effective online presence offers your business, including more leads and sales, to help you grow your business!

Learn more by visiting Strategic Marketing Solutions!

SEO Demystified!

Doreen Patrick — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:34:00 GMT

Want to learn more about SEO? How about hearing is straight from one of Microsoft® Live Search marketing specialists! You have a web site, great! Now put it to use! Read on!
_________________________________________
Reprinted with Permission
www.strategicmarketingsolutions.com

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard someone tell me that their tips, tricks and strategies could bring thousands of new visitors to my site or get me on the first page of the search engines…

Have you tried those tricks?

How about social networking, and the buzz created around sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter?

Does it feel as overwhelming and convoluted to you as it does to me?

There’s a lot of information out there about SEO and SEM, and how to convert traffic into sales. The truth is, most of it is either outdated or overpriced – or both. A lot of it can get you banned from the search engines, and much of it is irrelevant to your business.

The velocity of the internet is not for the faint of heart. To be relevant, you must not only keep pace with what works NOW, not what worked 6 years (or even 6 months) ago; you must know why you’re relevant in the first place and be able to connect powerfully with visitors who are coming to your website.

Jeremiah Andrick, our resident Search Marketing Expert, has 10 years of experience, most recently as a search marketing specialist for Microsoft® Live Search (now known as Bing), with years of experience as an account exec for Noble & Associates, a national advertising agency (clients include Tyson’s Chicken, French’s Mustard and Uncle Ben’s Rice) as well. He is going to join us Thursday, June 11, 2009 at 5 pm ET for a powerful teleseminar:

Finding More Customers: Optimizing your Website to Get More Leads & Sales
Date: Thursday, June 11, 2009
Time: 3 pm PT / 4 pm CT / 5 pm ET

If you’re a Marketing Maven, sign up here free (you will be directed to your sign in page). If you’re not, you can become one and register free ($29 / mo; $9 first mo) or sign up for this call for a one-time $29 fee.

If you can’t make the call, sign up anyhow; we’re recording it and I’ll send you the link so you can listen at your convenience!

Jeremiah speaks at major search conferences all over the world (including the renowned Search Insiders Summit, Search Engine Strategies and Search Marketing Expo) and is a recognized marketing thought leader and search marketing insider who can teach you how to not only avoid common pitfalls and blunders, but also to properly architect a website that can fully leverage all the potential an effective online presence offers your business, including more leads and sales, to help you grow your business!

This teleseminar will introduce you to the latest, specific, hands-on techniques, tools and strategies to attract traffic to your site and generate those ‘Buy’ clicks once they get there.

In this teleseminar, Finding More Customers: Optimizing your Website to Get More Leads & Sales, you will:

Discover the 4 critical components of a powerful SEO campaign. You’ll be shocked at the increase in traffic you’ll see when these strategies are executed properly!
Learn how blogging and other similar strategies can increase your website traffic and sales. If you’ve been doubting this medium, you MUST be on this call!
Learn how to gain the competitive advantage by doing things RIGHT. Position yourself at the leading edge by capitalizing on the most common misfires and mistakes of SEO and SEM strategies - and how to avoid them.
Witness a large American business institution’s abysmal home page PageRank score AND learn what you need to know to avoid their common mistake.
Discover how to avoid the #1 problem that plagues all independent professionals (coaches, speakers, authors, consultants, trainers) who are packaging their knowledge on the internet. Using these 3 simple, proven tactics guarantees your website will be in front of many more customers. Period.

80% of all buying decisions start on the web. That’s ASTONISHING and you need to know how to capitalize on it. In the 21^st century, we’ve got a potentially-level playing field, with so many ways you can effectively grow your business with the right strategies. This is a complimentary call for Marketing Mavens. If you are not a Marketing Maven, you can join the Mavens program and register free ($29 / mo./ $9 first mo.) or sign up for this call for $29.

VAs Provide Solutions - Get and See Results

Doreen Patrick — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:50:00 GMT

Wow! I was honored to have recently been chosen to receive the VAccolade Business Entrepreneur Award presented by VAnetworking. VAnetworking is the world’s largest online member-based Virtual Assistant networking association. If you aren’t already a member I highly recommend becoming one.

I said that not to toot my own horn, but to say that as VAs it is key for us to be involved in quality associations where we can make a difference. Being a successful VA is about being able to leverage our skills and knowledge that we have accumulated over the years along with continued educational training so that we can be the best that we can be for our clients. We must be constantly improving our knowledge and skills so that we can present fresh ideas to our clients and potential clients. Let’s face it not everyone knows about the power of professional social networking with online tools such as LinkedIn and Twitter. It’s our job to keep up with these tools so we can have them in our tool box.

I’ll close this post with the definition of a VA from www.VAnetworking.com.
“Virtual Assistants (VAs) are business owners who work from their own offices providing professional support, services and skills to their clients via phone, fax and Internet-based technology. Partnering with a VA reduces stress, protects cash flow, eliminates administrative hassles, and enables business people to find the success they originally set out to achieve. A VA is your right-hand person helping you to succeed in your business. The irony is you may never meet your VA as odds are they live nowhere near you!”

Now is the Time!

Doreen Patrick — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:23:00 GMT

According to an article posted on Reuter’s, a down economy is seen as a “boon” to virtual assistants. If you are a virtual assistant, this is great news! Additionally, business owners and businesses affected by the economy have some very cost effective solutions for getting the work done.

As companies are tightening their budgets and announcing lay-offs, the virtual assistant industry has seen an increase in those people interested in becoming a virtual assistant. Additionally, these people are recreating jobs (for themselves) and stimulating the economy at the same time, which isn’t bad considering the virtual assistant industry has become a multi-billion dollar industry!

Most virtual assistant that I know are college degreed, have diverse backgrounds and more than 10 years of knowledge and expertise in their chosen fields. This alone is an added bonus because that allows a virtual assistant to almost hit the ground running with their clients.

So what does this all mean? The article states that as a virtual assistant, our jobs are two-fold; educating the business world that the work can still get done in a cost effective manner and educating potential new virtual assistants. I whole-heartedly agree.

In the first year of opening my doors, my business has grown to a full time business. That success was accomplished by educating businesses and business owners along with honing in on the skills that I excel at and then developing the rest. I also believe in giving back to the industry by volunteering my time and knowledge to various virtual assistant organizations.

Suffice it to say that we are experiencing one of the worst economies in quite some time and now is great opportunity for businesses and business owners to reevaluate how to get the work done and how just how valuable a virtual assistant can be.

Be Green - Partner with a Virtual Assistant

Doreen Patrick — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:56:00 GMT

Honor yourself and the environment…partner with a virtual assistant!:

Save on utility costs, computer and supplies because we have a paperless relationship
Save time, money etc etc
Build relationships, partner with your business, not an employee mindset
Save on taxes and overhead etc

The Chicken

Doreen Patrick — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:15:00 GMT

The Chickens Story
By: Author Unknown

This is allegedly a true story. Whether or not it is true is
not important. It is just one of those great examples of how
instructions in business need to be clear and concise.

Engineers at a major aerospace company were instructed to
test the effects of bird-strikes (notably geese) on the
windshields of airliners and military jets. To simulate the
effect of a goose colliding with an aircraft travelling at
high speed, the test engineers built a powerful gun, with
which they fired dead chickens at the windshields. The
simulations using the gun and the dead chickens worked
extremely effectively, happily proving the suitability of
the windshields, and several articles about the project
appeared in the testing industry press.

It so happened that another test laboratory in a different
part of the world was involved in assessing bird-strikes -
in this case on the windshields and drivers' cabs of new
very high speed trains. The train test engineers had read
about the pioneering test developed by the aerospace team,
and so they approached them to ask for specifications of the
gun and the testing methods. The aerospace engineers duly
gave them details, and the train engineers set about
building their own simulation.

The simulated bird-strike tests on the train windshields and
cabs produced shocking results. The supposed state-of-the-
art shatter-proof high speed train windshields offered
little resistance to the high-speed chickens; in fact every
single windshield that was submitted for testing was smashed
to pieces, along with a number of train cabs and much of the
test booth itself.

The horrified train engineers were concerned that the new
high speed trains required a safety technology that was
beyond their experience, so they contacted the aerospace
team for advice and suggestions, sending them an extensive
report of the tests and failures.

The brief reply came back from the aero-engineers: "You need
to defrost the chickens...."

The New GLOW Project

Doreen Patrick — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 03:31:00 GMT

The GLOW Project is a motivational show for women in business that is taking place all over the US…

The GLOW Project is about bringing together prominent corporate and dynamic entrepreneur women that have achieved success. At the events you will not only hear about their ups but you will also hear about their downs and yes even their struggles. You will also hear about their strategies for success and what drives them forward.

The GLOW Project will show you that, no matter how hard you work, no matter how hard you try, you can never achieve your full potential and happiness without GLOW. GLOW is your birth right as women. Your essence, your passion and your dreams can no longer be denied. You are brilliant, magnificent, and unequaled! Embrace your essence and forever live in GLOW

For more information about this exciting program go to http://www.glowproject.org/TheGLOWProject.php

What is your mindset?

Doreen Patrick — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 22:45:00 GMT

You need to always maintain a
*Winner's Mindset* in order to
attain your Championship
*Gold Medal Dream* in Life!

The following is a comparison of a
Winner's Mindset vs. a Loser's Mindset...

Where is your mindset?

Even better yet...

Where are the people who are
on your Mastermind (Olympic) Team mindset?

W - The winner is always part of the answer...
I - The loser is always part of the problem...
N - The winner always has a program...
N - The loser always has an excuse...
E - The winner says, "Let me do it for you"
E - The loser says, "That's not my job"
R - The winner sees an answer for every problem...

VS. - The loser sees a problem for every answer...

L - The winner sees a green near every sand trap...
O - The loser sees two or three sand traps near every green...
S - The winner says, "It may be difficult, but it's possible...
E - The loser says, "It may be possible, but it's too difficult..
R - BE A WINNER

Now you truly need to make a conscious decision
to be a Winner and always maintain a Winner's
Mindset in order to win the Gold Medal in YOUR life!

Just like Olympian athletes, you need to train
EACH AND EVERY DAY CONSISTENTLY to win
your Gold Medal!

The #1 training method is to continually Feed
your Heart and Mind with Top-Quality Mental and
Motivational Nourishment to Build the Olympic Mindset
to Win in Life!...

Excerpted from:

The World Famous John Di Lemme Champions Are
Born Losers Are Made Success E-zine...
Rated one of the Top *3* Personal Development
Success Ezines on the internet today for over 8 years!
Learn More by visiting...
= = > http://www.ChampionsAreBornLosersAreMade.com < = =
**************************************************************
John Di Lemme, a Former Clinically Diagnosed Stutterer, now the
World's Leading Motivational Expert *shocks millions globally*
by exposing the truth they've been searching for in order to
achieve monumental life success through his Award Winning Live
Seminars, Power-Packed Training Events, Live Tele-Classes,
Mill.ionaire LifeStyle Freedom Club and Success E-zine...
Take action now -Join the tho.usands of others that have
used John's proven methods to live their life to the Maximum!
Visit...
- >> http://www.ChampionsAreBornLosersAreMade.com

Get Outside Your Comfort Zone

Doreen Patrick — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:51:00 GMT

The Comfort Zone.

By: Author Unknown
I used to have a comfort zone where I knew I wouldn't fail.
The same four walls and busy work were really more like
jail. I longed so much to do the things I'd never done
before, but stayed inside my comfort zone and paced the
same old floor.
I said it didn't matter that I wasn't doing much. I said I
didn't care for things like commission checks and such. I
claimed to be so busy with things inside my zone, but deep
inside I longed for something special of my own.
I couldn't let my life go by just watching others win. I
held my breath; I stepped outside and let the change
begin. I took a step and with new strength I'd never felt
before, I kissed my comfort zone goodbye and closed and
locked the door.
If you're in a comfort zone, afraid to venture out,
remember that all winners were at one time filled with
doubt. A step or two and words of praise can make your
dreams come true. Reach for your future with a smile;
Success is there for you!

The Virtual Assistants Guide to Landing 12 Clients in 12 Months

Doreen Patrick — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 02:50:00 GMT

It's finally here! My new eBook is officially for sale! My press release appears below.

For Immediate Release

Doreen R. Patrick, MVA, ACS, CIVA
Virtual Business Partners
630-541-2433
www.virtualbusinesspartners.net
vbpmailbox-vbp@yahoo.com

Virtual Assistant Tell-All eBook on Getting Clients

Woodridge, IL – February 28, 2008 - Virtual Business Partners is pleased to announce the publication of their new eBook, The Virtual Assistants Guide to Landing 12 Clients in 12 Months which has just been released and is for sale on their company web site at www.virtualbusinesspartners.net/resources.

Doreen Patrick, owner and founder of Virtual Business Partners, explains that as a member of various virtual assistant forums, two of the most frequent information requests from forum members are information about how gain clients and what marketing techniques are used to get clients. After having learned from veteran virtual assistants before her, Doreen realized the opportunity to be able to give back to these organizations and its members by publishing her first eBook; a tell-all on how she went from one client to having a successful full-time business within one year with over 12 clients.

Doreen explains, “Giving back to the communities that were an integral part of my business success was something that I have always wanted to do and I hope to be able to inspire other virtual assistants like those that have inspired me.” Patrick plans to release future eBooks and reports designed especially for virtual assistants and may also be adding teleclasses and seminars to her virtual assistant tool kit.

Virtual Business Partners is a virtual office practice that specializes in sales, marketing and administrative support to businesses and business owners in a variety of industries. Visit Virtual Business Partners at www.virtualbusinesspartners.net or call 630-541-2433 for more information.

Making 2008 Great - Series Blog 2

Doreen Patrick — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:12:00 GMT

Here is an article from a client that I wanted to share as we embark on making 2008 a great year! Enjoy!

How to Create a Sense of Urgency

Getting people “on the bus”, whether that's employees who work for you or colleagues and service providers who work with you, is critical to you meeting your goals and objectives. You just can't do it all yourself. As a business leader, you need to be able to count on your team for results and, typically, those team members you can count on have a built-in sense of urgency.

However, what if everyone doesn't have a sense of urgency, or at least your sense of urgency? Do you find new people? Change your goals? Reduce your expectations? Maybe - but if that's not acceptable to you, try creating a sense of urgency with your team if you find them (or maybe yourself!) procrastinating. It definitely can be done, and here are a few simple steps to do so:

1. Simplify goals and objectives. Your goals and objectives of course make perfect sense to you. You've probably thought long and hard about them, and you understand the rewards that will go along with achieving them. If they're significant, they will no doubt have some level of complexity to them. However, if you're going to get others to work with you on your goals, you must simplify them, breaking them down into bite-sized chunks that are easily understood and digested. People need to understand what and why they are doing something if they are going to do it well. If you are going to have others work with you on a goal, be sure to have an informative, written, step-by-step action plan associated with it.

2. Set deadlines. When setting deadlines don't ask, "When can you get this to me?" Rather, state, "You need to get this to me by 'X'." After all, if you’re going to complete your goals, you need to have all the pieces come together at the appropriate times. So make no assumptions what others might be thinking regarding timelines. If you haven't set a specific deadline, there is no deadline. Let people know, tell them, that being on time with a less-than-perfect deliverable is far more important to you than being late with a perfect one.

3. Establish consequences. Every business leader must make it crystal clear that if agreed upon objectives and deadlines are not met, there will be consequences. Now, that doesn't mean getting out the guillotine to address every missed deadline or marginally performed task. However, there should be a direct linkage between performance and reward. An excellent way to do that is to tell your team members what specific results will meet your expectations, which won't, and which will exceed them. Appropriate rewards should then be given for exceeding them, acknowledgement for meeting them, and a definitive, corrective, time-limited course of action taken if they are not met. For example, you can reward someone who “exceeds” your expectations by giving them something of personal value (cash, bonuses, gifts, etc). For “meeting” them, maybe a personalized and sincere expression of appreciation (a letter, telephone call, meeting, etc). And for “not meeting” them, perhaps an admonition, warning, or penalty matched to the circumstances.

4. Follow up. If someone else’s actions are critical to an important goal don't wait for a status report, ask for one. Feedback is crucial to any type of ongoing goal or process and asking questions, particularly open-ended questions, is a good way to get that feedback. For example, what can you tell me about this project? What's going well? What's not going so well? What have you learned since you started this project? What should I be telling my colleagues (boss, customers, etc) about this project? Let people know you are as interested in the journey as you are in the destination, and they'll make your priority their priority.

Everyone agrees that having a sense of urgency is critical to running a successful business or leading a team. If you and your team already have a sense of urgency, great. If it's missing or needs to be fortified, then these simple steps will help you create it.

Since 1982 SIGMA Resource Group has been helping business leaders and their companies achieve their goals. We help business owners, leaders, and entrepreneurs break through organizational and personal limitations and plan and lead their companies to long term success. Our one driving goal has been and always will be to help clients achieve results.

Mark Akerley – Mark has the unique ability to simultaneously be both an Advisor and Leader for his clients. Clients and colleagues point out his excellent listening and analytic abilities combined with his drive and know-how to get things done. For more than twenty years as founder and President of Sigma Resource Group he has worked with companies of all sizes and in many industries – including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, GE, Penn National, EMC, AMA, American Automobile Association - and over 300 other organizations. Mark’s leadership has resulted in companies significantly improving service, quality, productivity, and operating results. Mark’s real passion though is working with small to mid-sized companies and their business owners and top teams to help them set and achieve realistic yet “stretch” goals. As he says, “it’s all about results and fulfillment for the business leader.”

New Ebook - Coming Soon!

Doreen Patrick — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 01:02:00 GMT

I have a new Ebook coming out very soon. I haven't finalized the title, but the premise will be a virtual assistant's guide to getting clients. I decided to write a non-nonsense but light hearted book that talks about how I went from one client to over 15 clients in my first year of business. The book was exciting to write, but by no means a master piece so I enlisted the help of a new VA! I remember what it was like to start out, so I think it will be my mission to work with newer VAs to help them become established.

One of the best parts of the book is that it actually details how each and every client found me as a result of the marketing initiatives that I put in place. Each marketing initiative is also detailed so the reader can really see what happened from the planning stages to actual implementation.

The book is currently in an editor's hands and I look forward to being able to offer it for sale once it becomes available! Stay tuned!

Making 2008 Great - Series Blog 1

Doreen Patrick — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:56:00 GMT

Many businesses and business owners are getting ready to close the books on 2007 and get ready for 2008. In a series of blogs, I wil be discussing and sharing some great advice, tips and articles to help make for a great 2008! One of the first things I usually hear from my fellow VAs as they start their business planning is wanting to get more clients. I came across this great article from business coach Kim Lednum.

The Top 10 Marketing Mistakes

& How to Avoid Them - Part I

Don't know how to market your business? I didn't know anything about

marketing when I started my first home-based business in 1990. It took a

lot of time, and much trial and error for me to find a simple, easy and

effective way to market my business. In fact, I have been guilty of every

one of these marketing blunders.

Let me share with you some simple marketing strategies that will help

drive your business to success faster and sidestep some of the pitfalls that

slowed my progress over the years.

Marketing Mistake #1 - You don't have a marketing plan or strategy.
You need a marketing plan to help you stay focused and take action to get

the word out about your business. One simple marketing strategy in your

plan could be to send a helpful tip or inspirational quote in an email to each

of your clients every Monday to start their week off thinking about you.

Marketing Mistake #2 - You haven't chosen a niche or specialty.
If you have many topics that you are knowledgeable about it can be difficult

to narrow your focus on just one. However, if you concentrate on one main

skill or specialized field it becomes much easier to create a marketing

campaign and memorable business brand. Accentuate the part you really

enjoy doing and love the most.

Marketing Mistake #3 - You don't know your target audience.
Wanting to serve anyone and everyone is perfectly natural when you first

start out in business. Don't let that fool you. Knowing who you like and

want to work with makes it easier to identify and meet their needs so that

you can capture their attention.

Marketing Mistake #4 - You don't attract new clients.
Thinking that your current clients are keeping you busy is shortsighted. The situation can change without any warning and catch you off guard. Never

stop marketing yourself! Keep you name out there in the marketplace by

writing articles and press releases at the very least.

Marketing Mistake #5 - You don't follow up with clients and prospects.
The success of your business depends upon following up and building

relationships with leads and prospects. Without an effective system to

follow-up with clients and leads you can lose clients. The solution: create

or purchase a contact management system.

Next week, I'll share 5 more marketing mistakes and how to avoid them. Here's a few hints: they have to do with email, newsletters, presentations, your website and freebies.

Yours In Attracting Success,

© 2007 Kim Lednum.

Business writing coach Kim Lednum, "The Write Promotion Coach for Business," teaches self-employed professionals how to write articles that elevate your credibility, attract more clients, and

make more money in your small business. To get your FREE tips now visit: www.AttractBusinessNow.com

Projects a VA Can Accomplish in One Hour or Less

Doreen Patrick — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:34:00 GMT

Not sure what a VA can accomplish for you? This report is a must read! You will be surprised by what a VA can accomplish in one hour or less that you will wonder what five or ten hours can do.

Happy reading!

What's Going On?

Doreen Patrick — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 16:01:00 GMT

What going on? That seems to be a question that I am asking myself a lot lately, but not in a bad way? So I will tell you about what's going on!

My web site has had a complete overall thanks to BH Design! I have personally worked with my web and graphics designer in the corporate world and his work is fantastic! If you haven't had a chance, please visit my new web site and let me know what you think! It was important to have my site be as user-friendly as possible to my clients, potential clients and all visitors in-between!

I am also pleased to have a virtual assistant rate calculator available on my site as well! This is a great tool to use to discover the value of working with a virtual assistant! Compliments to www.virtualassistantforums.com for providing this awesome feature! Speaking of this great site, check out my feature interview!

For you virtual assistants...what's going on with you? It's important to have something going on in your business to be sure that you are heading to where you want to be. Whether it's updating your web site to pursuing educational interests, asking yourself, "what's going on" is a great check and balance to be sure you have it "going" on!

Until next time!

Lots of Exciting News!

Doreen Patrick — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 13:57:00 GMT

Virtual Business Partners has lots of exciting news to share! First things first, my new web site is coming! A former collegue is designing my new web site as we speak! The new version promises to be very exciting and I can't wait to see it! I have added a couple of new pages to my web site as well. One is the VA Certifications page and the other is Coaches Corner!

As most of you know, I have launched two new VA certifications, one is the Certified Insurance Virtual Assistant (CIVA) and the other is the Financial Services Virtual Assistant (FSVA). These new certifications also have a new home at www.getvacertified.com . I already had one student sucessfully complete the program and another one who is enrolling. I am excited to be able to offer these certificates and to also be a service provider in the financial services/insurance industries. There is a demand in this industry for specialized assistance and the certifications provide a means to meet those demands. More information can also be found on my web site at www.virtualbusinesspartners.net .

The Coaches Corner is a very new service offering just for coaches. I recently became involved in an opportunity to provide VA assistance to a coaches client. While there are many VAs that assist coaches, who is assisting their client? I have decided to run this program by two coaches that I know personally. Both are excited about the idea and want to sign up! Hats off to Coach Gina for a brilliant idea!

In the near future, I hope to be adding podcasts to my web site and continue creating opportunities for both my company and other virtual assistants!

Until next time!

Becoming a Successful VA - Great Resources

Doreen Patrick — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 20:12:00 GMT

As a virtual assistant and business owner, I rely constantly on daily news and information to keep me up-to-date as to what is going on not only in the business, but also with being a virtual assistant. The Virtual Assistant Networking Association (www.vanetworking.com) and the International Virtual Assistants Association (www.ivaa.org) have made a tremendous impact not only in how I run my business but also the virtual assisting industry. In addition to networking with fellow VAs, you can post questions on the forums on anything from startup questions to where to find the best price on software, have access to a wide range of training opportunities (some are free!), and the opprtunity to attend in-person events!

I intend to give back to these organizations as much as I have taken away from my fellow VAs! On my web site I have additional resources that are just as valuable as IVAA and VANA!

Make it a great day!

Enrollment Commences for Virtual Assistant Insurance Certification

Doreen Patrick — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 20:10:00 GMT

Virtual Business Partners announced a new, specialized certification for virtual assistants who would like to offer their services to the financial service and insurance industries. The Certified Insurance Virtual Assistant (CIVA) certification was unveiled in May 2007 by Virtual Business Partners as the first ever certification of this kind for virtual assistants.

Virtual Business Partners is now accepting enrollment for certification. To find out more about the certification and enrollment, visit the Virtual Business Partners web site at www.virtualbusinesspartners.net or you can contact Virtual Business Partners at 630-541-2433.

Recognizing the need for specialized training in the insurance and financial services market as well as the need for virtual assistants who can service this market, I worked to develop the certification. As a former executive assistant at an insurance company, I was able to quickly identify the needs and challenges these industries face administratively, and create a program to meet these challenges.